Psalm 16
Biblical psalm
title: "Psalm 16" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["texts-assigned-to-david", "psalms"] description: "Biblical psalm" topic_path: "general/texts-assigned-to-david" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psalm_16" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Biblical psalm ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox musical composition"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Psalm 16 |
| subtitle | "Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust" |
| image | Scottish Metrical Psalter (24970711791).jpg |
| image_upright | 1.2 |
| caption | Psalm 16 in a Scottish metrical psalter |
| other_name | {{plainlist |
| text | attributed to David |
| language | Hebrew (original) |
| :: |
| name = Psalm 16 | subtitle = "Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust" | type = | image = Scottish Metrical Psalter (24970711791).jpg | image_upright = 1.2 | alt = | caption = Psalm 16 in a Scottish metrical psalter | other_name = {{plainlist|
- Psalm 15
- "Conserva me Domine" | text = attributed to David | language = Hebrew (original) | written = | published = Psalm 16 is the 16th psalm in the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust."
In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 15. The Latin version begins "Conserva me Domine".
The psalm is attributed to David and described as a Michtam of David. Psalms 56-60 also share this title. Sarah Hoyt describes this term as "obscure". Semitic scholar Paul Haupt suggests that it may mean "restricted by the meter", or "conformed to poetical measure". The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox Church and Protestant liturgies. It has been set to music, including compositions by Marc-Antoine Charpentier and George Frideric Handel.
Composition
Charles and Emilie Briggs summarized its contents as follows:
According to the Briggs, the author of this Psalm drew on Jeremiah 23:6, 33:16; Deuteronomy 33:12; and the Book of Ezra for phrases and concepts, and most likely wrote the Psalm in the Persian period (i.e., after 539 BC).
Text
The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text come from different textual traditions.A 1917 translation directly from Hebrew to English by the Jewish Publication Society can be found here or here, and an 1844 translation directly from the Septuagint by L. C. L. Brenton can be found here. Both translations are in the public domain. In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 15. ::data[format=table]
| # | Hebrew | English | Greek |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (Michtam of David.) Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust. | Στηλογραφία τῷ Δαυΐδ. - ΦΥΛΑΞΟΝ με, Κύριε, ὅτι ἐπὶ σοὶ ἤλπισα. | |
| 2 | O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee; | εἶπα τῷ Κυρίῳ· Κύριός μου εἶ σύ, ὅτι τῶν ἀγαθῶν μου οὐ χρείαν ἔχεις. | |
| 3 | But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight. | τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῖς ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτοῦ ἐθαυμάστωσεν ὁ Κύριος, πάντα τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτοῖς. | |
| 4 | Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips. | ἐπληθύνθησαν αἱ ἀσθένειαι αὐτῶν, μετὰ ταῦτα ἐτάχυναν· οὐ μὴ συναγάγω τὰς συναγωγὰς αὐτῶν ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδ᾿ οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ τῶν ὀνομάτων αὐτῶν διὰ χειλέων μου. | |
| 5 | The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. | Κύριος μερὶς τῆς κληρονομίας μου καὶ τοῦ ποτηρίου μου· σὺ εἶ ὁ ἀποκαθιστῶν τὴν κληρονομίαν μου ἐμοί. | |
| 6 | The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage. | σχοινία ἐπέπεσέ μοι ἐν τοῖς κρατίστοις· καὶ γὰρ ἡ κληρονομία μου κρατίστη μοί ἐστιν. | |
| 7 | I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. | εὐλογήσω τὸν Κύριον τὸν συνετίσαντά με· ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἕως νυκτὸς ἐπαίδευσάν με οἱ νεφροί μου. | |
| 8 | I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. | προωρώμην τὸν Κύριον ἐνώπιόν μου διαπαντός, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μού ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ. | |
| 9 | Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. | διὰ τοῦτο ηὐφράνθη ἡ καρδία μου, καὶ ἠγαλλιάσατο ἡ γλῶσσά μου, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἡ σάρξ μου κατασκηνώσει ἐπ᾿ ἐλπίδι, | |
| 10 | For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. | ὅτι οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ᾅδην, οὐδὲ δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν. | |
| 11 | Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. | ἐγνώρισάς μοι ὁδοὺς ζωῆς· πληρώσεις με εὐφροσύνης μετὰ τοῦ προσώπου σου, τερπνότητες ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ σου εἰς τέλος. | |
| :: |
Uses
New Testament
The following verses of Psalm 16 are referenced in the New Testament:
- Verses 8-11 are quoted in Acts
- Verse 10b is quoted in Acts . In those cases both Peter and Paul applied Psalm 16 to Jesus' resurrection and not to David's life.
Judaism
Verse 3 is found in Pirkei Avot Chapter 6, no. 10.
Psalm 16 is one of the ten psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.
Coptic Orthodox Church
In the Agpeya, the Coptic Church's book of hours, this psalm is prayed in the office of Prime. It is also in the prayer of the Veil, which is generally prayed only by monks.
Book of Common Prayer
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, Psalm 16 is appointed to be read on the morning of the third day of the month.
Musical settings
Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of a metric paraphrase of Psalm 16 in German, "Bewahr mich, Gott, ich trau auf dich", SWV 112, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628. In 1699, Marc-Antoine Charpentier wrote "Conserva me Domine", H.230, for soloists, chorus, strings, and continuo. The King James Version of verse 10 is used in Handel's oratorio Messiah, HWV 56. | last = Block | first = Daniel I. | author-link = Daniel I. Block | year = 2001 | title = Handel's Messiah: Biblical and Theological Perspectives | journal = Didaskalia | volume = 12 | number = 2 | url = http://www.sbts.edu/documents/icw/messiah.pdf | access-date = 19 July 2011
Notes
References
References
- [http://medievalist.net/psalmstxt/ps15.htm Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 15 (16)] {{webarchive. link. (2017-05-07 medievalist.net)
- [[New King James Version]]: [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+16&version=NKJV Psalm 16]
- Hoyt, S. F., [https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3087764.pdf The Holy One in Psalm 16, 10], ''Journal of the American Oriental Society'', 1912, Vol. 32, No. 2 (1912), pp. 120-125, accessed 6 October 2021
- (1960). "A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms". T & T Clark.
- "Psalms – Chapter 16". Mechon Mamre.
- "Psalms 16 - JPS 1917". [[Sefaria.
- "Psalm 15 - Septuagint and Brenton's Septuagint Translation". Ellopos.
- Kirkpatrick, A. F.. (1901). "The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes". At the University Press.
- [[Charles Spurgeon]], [https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=spur&b=19&c=16 The Treasury of David: Psalm 16], accessed 1 March 2021
- The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 587
- Weintraub, Rabbi Simkha Y.. (2018). "Psalms as the Ultimate Self-Help Tool". My Jewish Learning.
- Greenbaum, Rabbi Avraham. (2007). "The Ten Psalms: English Translation". azamra.org.
- "Prime". agpeya.org.
- "Veil". agpeya.org.
- Church of England, [https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/The%20Book%20of%20Common%20Prayer%201662.pdf Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter] as printed by [[John Baskerville]] in 1762, pp. 196ff
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